Syphilis
Syphilis is a bacterial sexually transmitted disease. It has many symptoms which change with time, so it is best diagnosed with a blood test; but a common first symptom is skin problems on the genitals. If a person contracts this disease, it will not go away unless that person gets treatment, and will cause a lifetime of discomfort and eventually death. Inexpensive antibiotics readily and quickly cure syphilis.
symptoms
About 3 weeks after contracting syphilis a person will get a lesion at the point of contact, which typically means on the genitals. The lesion quickly forms a chancre, which in this case will be a painless ulcer which will grow for a while but spontaneously heal without treatment within 6 weeks. There will be no other symptoms at this time except possibly lymph node swelling, so many people do not seek treatment.
By week 8 a person will other temporary symptoms, even though the chancre is usually gone. These symptoms can include a rash anywhere on the body, fever, malaise, and lymph node swelling. 1 in 50 people who do not get treatment by this point will also begin to show some serious problem which may have a permanent effect, like a nerve, bone, liver, kidney, or digestive condition.
By week 12 the temporary symptoms usually are gone, and then the bacteria go into a latent stage. During this time, most people have no symptoms for about a year, but sometimes not for many years. Eventually, syphilis causes balls of tissue to grow throughout the inside of the body. These balls can grow anywhere, and they hurt whatever they grow upon. If they grow on bone, then they inflame nearby joints. If they grow on something related to the nervous system, then they can cause insanity and strange body movements. Eventually the balls will grow on something important, and impair that thing’s function, and cause death.
spread
Syphilis can spread through contact with contaminated blood, but it almost always spreads through sexual fluids. Any sexual fluid - vaginal secretions, pre-ejaculate, or semen - which touches a mucous membrane in the vagina; on the tip of the penis; on the anus; or rarely, in other places; can cause the spread of syphilis from one person to another.
Syphilis causes skin problems such as rashes and chancres, and these skill problems secrete small amounts of fluid which cannot be seen or felt. The use of condoms lowers the risk of transmission because frequently these skin problems occur on genitalia, but because they occur elsewhere also, the condom does not cover up every part of the body which can receive or give the bacteria.
Abstinence and not sharing syringes are methods which prevent the spread of syphilis. Syphilis does not spread among household members who do not have sex or share needles with each other.
Pregnant women with syphilis can give it to their babies during childbirth.
Persons with syphilis are at greatly increased risk for both contracting and spreading HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Having any other STD greatly increases the risk of contracting syphilis.
treatment
At any time, syphilis can be cured with any antibiotic which affects spirochetes, syphilis itself being caused by a bacteria of that family called Treponema pallidum. Usually doctors recommend an intramuscular injection of benzathine penicillin.
An inexpensive blood test is the most definite way to diagnose syphilis. A person who has had infective contact with another person with syphilis should get antibiotic treatment, even after testing negative for the blood test. Syphilis is a dangerous disease and requires medical attention.
